Murugan Bhakti Newsletter No. 2:
January-February 2000
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Calendar painting of Murugan once popular in the 1920's-30's |
Newsletter Contents:
- What's new?
- Murugan Bhakti on tour
- Coming to Murugan Bhakti in February
Murugan Bhakti: What's new?
www.Murugan.org
The Murugan Bhakti website marks its entry into the new millennium by obtaining (courtesy of an anonymous devotee) its own domain-level address on the World Wide Web. You can now find Murugan Bhakti at this simple URL: www.Murugan.org
www.Kataragama.org
Watch for the new Kataragama.org site coming in February with a host of articles and graphics devoted to Kathirkamam, Lord Skanda's jungle redoubt and pilgrimage destination for Sri Lankan Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Veddas alike.
New pages freshly added to the Murugan Bhakti website in January 2000 include:
Plus hyperlinks to 15 new selected Web pages related to Skanda-Murugan
Murugan Bhakti on tour
Since the first newsletter issue this editor has been logging long hours of travel by bus and rail to meet scholars and devotees and visit temples and ashrams across South India. Visits to Palani, Tiruchy, Thanjavur, Valli Malai, Tiruttani, Kanchipuram, Bangalore and Siruvapuri included:
- a meeting with the Executive Officer Tiru T. Jayaraman of Sri Dandayudhapani Swami Devasthanam, Palani in which the E.O. pledged to facilitate photo documentation of the rich collection of wall murals and paintings adorning both the Hill Temple and Tiru Avinankudi. These images may start appearing on the Murugan Bhakti site from February.
- several meetings with the Dean of Arts Faculty and the Vice-Chancellor of the Tamil University at Thanjavur to discuss setting up a "Study in Tamil Nadu" pilot program. The program is due to begin in Sept 2000; see below for details or contact the editor.
- 31 Dec 1999-1 Jan 2000 at Tiruttani Subramanya Swami Temple's annual Step Festival in the company of Vallimalai Sri Satchidananda Swami Tiruppugazh Sabha devotees, followed by a visit to Kanchipuram to visit the Kanchipuram Sankaracharya Peetham and Kumara Kottam where the Kanda Puranam was composed in the 14th century. An illustrated Kanda Puranam will start to appear on the website in February.
- 26 January at Siruvapuri Sri Balasubramanya Temple for the annual Republic Day abhisekam sponsored by the Siruvapuri Murugan Abhisekam Kuzhu of Chennai.
- Bangalore
- Murugan Bhakti editor Patrick Harrigan was a guest of the Bangalore Tiruppukazh Anbargal ('Lovers of Arunagiri's Hymns to Muruga') for a week in early January. MS Ramamurthy and family played host, arranging a lively schedule of visits to Bangalore temples of Subramanya and other places of worship. On Friday 11 February Murugan devotees in Bangalore celebrate the 30th annual Silver Car Festival of the Sri Subramanyeshwara Swami Temple in Kumara Park West. For details contact MS Ramamurthy <msr@bgl.vsnl.net.in> or Arun Raghavan <arun77@vsnl.com>.
- Vallimalai Balananda Swami USA tour: now tentatively scheduled for July-August 2000
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Kushan period sculpture of Karttikeya. Sandstone, dated Samvat 11, (ca. 1-2nd c. AD) Mathura Museum, height 33". After Rosenfield, John M., 1967, The Dynastic Art of the Kushans, Berkeley, Los Angeles, University of California Press, fig. 49 |
- Valli Malai Balananda Sadhu's first USA tour is now scheduled for April-May 2000. He will be visiting destinations in New York, Connecticut, Texas and Hawaii. Contact Ramji Ganesh <ramji@gnd.exide.co.in> or Murugan Bhakti for details. Watch for the Valli Malai home page coming soon to the Murugan Bhakti website.
Coming to Murugan Bhakti soon
New offerings appearing on the Murugan Bhakti website in February include:
- Iconography Seminar 2000
- Kanda Puranam in pictures
- Kanda Sashti Kavacam
- How Murugan Came to Palani in pictures
- Kumara Kottam: Birthplace of the Kanda Puranam
- All about Valli Malai
- All about Pamban Swamigal
- All about Kripananda Variar
- Gallery of Murugan bhaktars
- Kailasa to Kataragama: Sacred Geography in the cult of Skanda-Murukan
- plus previously unpublished research articles on Murugan
- If you wish to submit a message for other subscribers to the Murugan Bhakti newsletter or if you wish to contact the editor, address your message to:
- editor@murugan.org (editor/moderator Patrick Harrigan)
- This is a moderated newsletter, i.e. the editor/moderator will publish messages deemed suitable and appropriate for the newsletter.
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